day : 12/03/2013 12 results

In the 4700 block of Delridge Way SW a few hours ago, a resident apparently rattled the potential burglar who had just rattled her door:

I was by myself and heard the side door being rattled and thought it strange since my husband wasn’t coming home until later this evening. As I came down the stairs, I saw a young (approximately 18 – 20 years old) thin, African American guy with his navy parka hood covering his entire face except his eyes peering into the door. We made eye contact as I was coming down the stairs to investigate, and I turned around and went upstairs to get my cell phone to call 911.

The police responded immediately and after making sure he was no longer around, I showed the officer a large piece of concrete that was on the ground close to the door that wasn’t there when I got home. After some discussion, I showed the police officer the back door to where the would-be burglar could have exited via the alley since the other police officers did not find him on Delridge. And it was there that the officer found a pile of concrete debris (from which) the suspect had gotten the piece he was going to use to break the glass on our door with.

I just wanted to let you know, since it is still pretty bright out at 6:20 pm and this guy was pretty audacious to attempt this.

We checked the police-report map – no other burglaries shown in that area in the past week.

Share This

As-it-happened coverage: SPD surveillance-cameras meeting on Alki – ‘We’re not hiding anything’

| Seattle Police surveillance cameras | West Seattle news

7:09 PM: We’re at Alki Bathhouse with more than thirty people as Seattle Police start their first meeting about the surveillance-camera system originally reported here on WSB. Leading off the meeting, Assistant Chief Paul McDonagh, who we interviewed about the system back on February 1st. Also here, Det. Monty Moss, who has led some of the briefings, and a full complement of citywide media, plus other SPD personnel (including from the public affairs/media relations office, Sgt. Sean Whitcomb and Det. Jeff Kappel). Moss is making a background-information slide presentation, similar so far to the ones he gave to the City Council’s Public Safety, Civil Rights, and Technology Committee on February 20th as well as to the Alki Community Council the next night. (Added: Unedited WSB video of the entire hour-and-a-half meeting:)

7:12 PM: Det. Moss says they should be “done with the installation by the end of this month” and are continuing to work on policies regarding the cameras’ usage. He says two cameras are being installed “as we speak” in the Ballard Locks area, and they’re still seeking a location along Seaview, “but it will not be in Golden Gardens Park.” Closer to here, he says the Terminals 5 and 18 cameras are now installed. After discussing the camera locations, he’s showing the video demonstration about how the “privacy masking” will work, and noting that the frame rate for the video will be 5 to 7 frames per second, about a quarter of what TV broadcasts use. He says the video is recorded with the masking, and that it cannot be removed afterward – no matter what the cameras wind up picking up.

He also describes the antenna arrays for the “wireless mesh” portion of the system, which is expected to be used by other agencies from Metro to Seattle Fire, which will use it in some areas as its primary means of communication, according to Det. Moss.

The crowd continues to grow – probably closer to 40 now.

**CONTINUING AHEAD, THE REST OF OUR AS-IT-HAPPENED COVERAGE, PLUS NOTES FROM AFTERWARD**Read More

Share This

2-hour citywide closure of Seattle Parks rec facilities tomorrow

March 12, 2013 5:12 pm

| Comments Off on 2-hour citywide closure of Seattle Parks rec facilities tomorrow

| West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

Just announced by Seattle Parks, via their Parkways website:

Seattle Parks and Recreation will close all recreational facilities tomorrow, March 13, from 12:30 to 2:30 so that Parks employees can meet with their leaders and talk to Parks management about the shooting that took place at Parks’ Densmore Ave. N facility on Friday, March 8.

This meeting will give the recreation staff time with their management team and with counselors. Affected facilities are community centers, pools, environmental learning centers and the Amy Yee Tennis Center.

Share This

Happy 25th, West Seattle Thriftway! Shopping-spree raffle starts tomorrow

March 12, 2013 4:47 pm

| 9 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Starting tomorrow, you can help the West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) celebrate its 25th anniversary by buying a ticket for a unique raffle: The winner gets a four-minute shopping spree to gather up to $500 in house-brand Western Family merchandise. Tickets will be sold tomorrow through March 27th for just $1 each, and the proceeds benefit West Seattle Food Bank. The store has a lot to remember and celebrate; staff member Michele Grasso is quoted in the announcement: “I have never worked anywhere else that has been so involved with its community. So many of us are locals, or have worked here for so long that it’s like we’ve grown up with West Seattle. We’ve been through a lot with you – we even survived a fire!”

That fire happened in March 1997 and destroyed the building previously housing West Seattle Thriftway, founded in 1988 by Paul and Connie Kapioski. While it was closed for rebuilding, they even ran a weekly bus to then-Admiral Thriftway for senior citizens who needed help to get to the store.

Before it burned, the store faced Fauntleroy Way SW; now, while it’s on the same site, it faces California SW, with an in-store Chase Bank branch as well as an in-store dining area next to its deli, bakery, and Chinese food counter. Notes the announcement:

West Seattle Thriftway supports their local Food Bank on a daily basis with food donations, and in this economic environment with so many in need they hope to see this event as an additional way to help the surrounding community and have some fun at the same time. In the last fiscal year, families visited the West Seattle Food Bank 37,943 times.

The store supports many other community charities in ways including summertime benefit barbecue lunches outside the store, like this one for WestSide Baby last summer:

Along with buying raffle tickets starting tomorrow, you have two more ways to help West Seattle Thriftway celebrate its silver anniversary: Next Monday, March 18th, they’ll commemorate the grand reopening post-fire, including a celebratory cake from Creme de la Creme Bakery – customers get a slice! And on Saturday, March 30th, at 9 am, it’s the annual Easter Egg Hunt, which usually draws quite a crowd:

(WSB photo from 2012 Easter Egg Hunt)
If you’re new in town and don’t know – West Seattle Thriftway is in Morgan Junction, on the southeast corner of California and Fauntleroy (with a parking entrance from 42nd on the east side, too).

Share This

West Seattle restaurants: Alki’s Bada Bistro to open next week

March 12, 2013 1:00 pm

| 144 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

(Photo courtesy Sharon Bang)
Almost four months after announcing new plans for the former Beachside Café/ex-Alki Bakery at 61st/Alki, its owners say they’re hoping to open next week – Wednesday, March 20th. They’ve changed the new name a bit; now it’s Bada Bistro. “We will open for dinner the first week, add happy hour the following week, lunch will follow, and brunch to be added for weekends in April,” co-owner Sharon Bang tells WSB. Dinner will start at 5 pm; happy hour at 3 pm. She adds, “I realize that many were wondering what is going on in the space with no updated news for a long period of time. We really wanted to bring something special to the location, and it took more time getting things ready.” Here’s a notice Sharon says they’ve posted on the door, announcing their chef, and more about their menu and beverage plans:

John and Sharon Bang, local family restaurateurs, knew they wanted to open a Pacific Rim inspired American bistro with Chef John David Crow in mind. John David, a graduate of the California Culinary Academy, is a native Seattleite with an impressive and eclectic background. He spent years as the Executive Chef of the Space Needle as well as the Executive Chef of the Union Square Grill. He also opened The Brooklyn with Alvin Binuya, chef and partner of Ponti Seafood Grill, a mentor from whom Chef John gained much of his early knowledge of Pacific- Asian cuisine.

Most recently, John has served as Corporate Executive Chef at The Moorings Resort in the Florida Keys in addition to opening a popular Nashville restaurant, 360 Bistro, before returning to Seattle to start Bada Bistro here on Alki Beach. We describe our food as a beachside bistro, Seattle in flavor, with a definite Pacific Rim influence.

Bada is also a craft bar; we are the only scratch bar on Alki. We infuse our own spirits, use only fresh juices, and make our own syrups and bitters. Our wine list is well balanced and eclectic. We don’t chase labels, and we don’t serve merlot. We support our local brewers, while promoting global peace with a diverse line-up of tap handles.

At our Bistro we want to provide you with the opportunity to try new things, travel outside your comfort zone and enjoy a new seasoning, hop or grape. We want to make varietals the spice of life; we want to mix and match ingredients that have crossed all seven seas as well as those born and raised right here in the Northwest. The world is our oyster, and we have the best oysters on the beach.

It’s been two years since Sharon and husband John Bang, who also own Alki Café across the street, took over the ex-Alki Bakery space, whose former ownership closed it abruptly in November 2010.

Share This

Delridge repaving, phase 2: New detour starts next week

March 12, 2013 12:15 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| Delridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Click image to get PDF with full-size view)
Phase 2 of the yearlong Delridge Way SW repaving project is about to begin (as first noted here March 1st). Just in from SDOT, the detour map (above) that takes effect next week when work moves to the Thistle-to-Trenton stretch for two-plus months. Here’s the official announcement:

Starting the week of March 18, southbound Delridge Way Southwest traffic will be detoured at Southwest Thistle Street in West Seattle to facilitate roadway reconstruction and storm drain installations. This work is Phase 2 of the Seattle Department of Transportation’s Delridge Way Southwest Paving Project that is rebuilding much of Delridge Way Southwest between Southwest Orchard and Southwest Roxbury streets.

Traffic will be directed:

· West on SW Thistle Street
· South on 35th Avenue SW
· East on SW Trenton Street
· South on Delridge Way SW

The detour is expected to be in place until early June 2013. Northbound traffic on Delridge Way Southwest will be maintained. Local access and access to businesses will be maintained during project work.

This is a five-phase project. At the completion of Phase 2, the construction activity will move to the Phase 3 section of Delridge Way Southwest between Southwest Thistle and Southwest Holden streets.

Share This

Car2Go West Seattle expansion: The map, and the 1st vote

March 12, 2013 11:54 am

| 14 COMMENTS

| Transportation | West Seattle news

We’ve had an inquiry out for a while to Car2Go, asking for more details of their West Seattle expansion plans. Though they haven’t replied, we do have some new info thanks to the agenda for today’s City Council Transportation Committee meeting, which included their proposed map – here’s how West Seattle looks on it:

The darker blue area is the proposed “home area” – according to Car2Go, you can drive outside it, but you can’t leave a car outside it. They describe it in a letter to Transportation Committee chair Councilmember Tom Rasmussen:

As seen in the map below, we would like to include parts of West Seattle, including North Admiral, North Delridge, Alki, Seaview, High Point, and Fauntleroy Cove. The south boundary would be extended to Fauntleroy Way SW, SW Morgan Street, Sylvan Way SW, SW Orchard Street, Dumar Way SW, SW Holden Street, and Highland Park Way SW. The eastern boundary would be West Marginal Way SW, the West Seattle Bridge, and Harbor Ave SW. The home zone would expand all the way to Puget Sound to the West and North.

So most of southern West Seattle is out of luck for now – except for the sliver by the ferry docks. The main point of today’s Transportation Committee item was that Car2Go wants to increase its fleet to 500 cars – almost 200 more than it has in Seattle now. Brian Hawksford from Councilmember Rasmussen’s office tells us the plan won unanimous approval this morning and goes to the full City Council next Monday.

(P.S. Hat tip to Bruce Nourish for the map tip via Twitter.)

Share This

West Seattle development: Junction ‘micro’ apartments planned

March 12, 2013 11:06 am

| 51 COMMENTS

| Development | West Seattle news

(Photo from King County Assessor’s Office website)
On the west edge of The Junction, the site of that little brick office building at 4535 44th SW is proposed for a new apartment building, 4 stories and 31 units. Here’s the project page on the city website. West Seattle-founded Nicholson Kovalchick is the architecture firm on the project, according to a preliminary site plan filed with the city that uses the term “micros” to describe the project (here’s more on the “micro-apartments” trend). The information on file is very preliminary so there is no mention of parking plans; it appears from an online notation that the project will go through the design-review process, though no meeting date is on the schedule yet. (Hat tip to DJC for first word of this.)

Share This

West Seattle Tuesday: Surveillance-cameras meeting; Fauntleroy, Admiral community councils…

March 12, 2013 10:15 am

| 6 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Anna’s Hummingbird along Elliott Bay – photo by David Hutchinson)
From the long list of events for today/tonight on the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar, five major events:

HIGH-SCHOOL SOCCER: Both West Seattle HS and Chief Sealth IHS‘s boys-soccer teams are in action today – WSHS is on the road at Ingraham at 3:30 pm, Sealth is home (SW Athletic Complex, 2801 SW Thistle) vs. Rainier Beach at 4 pm.

SURVEILLANCE-CAMERAS MEETING: The first Seattle Police-presented public meeting about the federally funded waterfront system of cameras whose installation began unannounced in late January. 7 pm, Alki Bathhouse (61st and Alki). Here’s the SPD announcement published on their site last Friday night; here’s our ongoing coverage (archived newest-to-oldest).

FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: The monthly board meeting, 7 pm, Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (9131 California SW), public welcome.

ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Monthly meeting, 7 pm, basement meeting room at Admiral Congregational Church (California/Hill), public welcome. (Here’s the agenda.)

INFORMATIONAL MEETING AT WESTSIDE SCHOOL’S NEW LOCATION: 7 pm, 2nd of two meetings at Hillcrest Presbyterian Church (10404 34th SW) to explain Westside School (WSB sponsor) plans to buy and renovate the church. Here’s the flyer.

PLEASE SEE OUR CALENDAR for many more events happening today/tonight and beyond – just go here.

Share This

Interim minister on the way for Fauntleroy Church

March 12, 2013 9:14 am

| Comments Off on Interim minister on the way for Fauntleroy Church

| Fauntleroy | West Seattle news | West Seattle religion

Less than two months after longtime Fauntleroy Church minister Rev. David Kratz‘s retirement, an interim minister is on the way. Judy Pickens shares the announcement:

Fauntleroy Church UCC has appointed the Rev. Eric Dale as interim minister, starting on Palm Sunday (March 24).

Ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in 1981, he has served interim pastorates with the United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Church, and most recently, an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America congregation in Elko, Nevada. He has also served as a campus minister. He received his M.Div. from the Pacific School of Religion in 1980.

Rev. Dale will serve the Fauntleroy congregation for 12-18 months, providing full pastoral care as well as guidance through the process of calling a “settled” minister to replace the Rev. David Kratz, who retired at the end of January.

Rev. Kratz had served at Fauntleroy Church for more than a quarter-century, as reported here during his final week on the job. The church itself is more than a century old, having celebrated its centennial in 2008.

Share This

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday notes and updates

March 12, 2013 6:03 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! Busy day for traffic/transit tips on Monday – we’ll see what today brings. For downtown bus riders, here’s the reminder about a key stop change all week long:

From Monday, March 11 at 9:00 AM until Friday, March 15 at 2:00 PM, the bus stop westbound on Columbia St at 2nd Av will be closed due to construction.

During that time, board the RapidRide C Line and routes 21 Express, 55, 56, 57, 120 and 125 east of the closed stop, at the temporary stop southbound on 3rd Av just north of Columbia Street.

Bus service is not rerouted. All West Seattle service will continue to travel via Columbia St to the Alaskan Way Viaduct during this closure.

Thanks to Robert for pointing out the importance of that alert.

Share This

West Seattle Crime Watch: Gatewood shots? Plus, street robbery

March 12, 2013 2:05 am

| 17 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Two West Seattle Crime Watch cases tonight – and three reader reports from earlier. First, we have information now from police regarding the reason for a search around the Fairmount Park and Triangle areas – a street robbery in the 4700 block of 40th SW (map) around 8:30 pm. According to Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams, the victim said he was confronted by a white man in his 20s wearing a gray hoodie and demanding money. “The suspect struck the victim on his head with an object that the victim described as a handgun, took some cash, then ran off. Patrol officers and a K-9 unit checked the area but were unable to locate the suspect. The victim did not require any medical attention.”

A few hours later, 911 received multiple calls – and we received a note – about possible gunshots heard in the Gatewood/south Morgan Junction area; our note was from someone near Gatewood Elementary. We have not yet heard if there was any confirmation of gunfire, such as casings or property damage; we’ll check again later.

Ahead, three Crime Watch reader reports, two with photos – a stolen bike to look for; a car-prowling MO to watch out for; and another garage break-in:Read More

Share This